


Eye to Eye

by angel_of_rhye



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Queen (band), Parent Death, adoptive families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 11:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16810120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_of_rhye/pseuds/angel_of_rhye
Summary: In this alternate timeline, Mary is Freddie and Jim's adoptive daughter. This takes place after Freddie's funeral service, and Jim and Mary confide in each other over the pain of losing Freddie.





	Eye to Eye

**Author's Note:**

> Brief prelude: Mary is a young adult studying abroad at a university in the U.S and is the adoptive daughter of Jim and Freddie. She has come home to pay her respects to her father, Freddie, after his life was cut tragically short from AIDS. Now she and Jim must learn how to cope with each other for a life without Freddie.

After the funeral service, most of the guests gathered back to Garden Lodge. They all comforted each other in this time of sorrow, and told each other how much they’re going to miss Freddie. When Jim escorted the last guest out from the house, he made his way back to the living room and sat by Mary. She was sitting with a grand old picture book in her lap and stared at a picture of Freddie cradling a baby Mary in his arms as she stared up at him and with wide, bewildering eyes. 

Jim pointed at the picture and said, “That’s when we first brought you home.”

She flipped the page to smile at a picture of an adolescent Mary watching Freddie perform with his band from backstage as Jim also looked from behind her. She pointed out the picture, “I remember this concert so well. After such persistence on my part, I finally convinced the two of you to let me have a hotel room to myself so long as the other children were with me.” Jim chuckled at the memory. “Don’t think it was easy. Freddie and I were tempting to check in the room every five minutes. The other band mates kept having to reassure us convinced us that you were all perfectly fine.” 

“I was almost surprised that you didn’t. But it was truly a fun night nonetheless. We all stayed late gushing about how thrilling concert was. They couldn’t believe Freddie was capable of such showmanship.” Mary smiled widely at the way her father commanded his audience, dazzled them with his wit, humor and the moves that could give even Jagger a run for his money. Jim was also well aware of the on-stage awe Freddie possessed. “Your father was truly something else. He often felt insecure about a lot of things, but the beautiful thing about seeing him up there for everyone at his concerts to see, you knew he felt free; didn’t have a shred of doubt in him in those moments.”

Mary felt her smile start to fade a little, and slowly closed the book. “I know.”, she said almost quietly. She got up to step into the kitchen connecting the living room and placed the photo book on the island counter. She started twiddling with her fingers and felt tears starting to well behind her eyes. She turned to face Jim but didn’t speak right away. She needed to collect her strength to speak first. Jim looked back at her with a look of understanding, his face already telling her that he’ll wait for as long as she needs him too.

After what felt like forever, she finally began to speak, “I just-”, her voice started to quiver, but she wouldn’t let that stop from saying what she needed to say. “I just can’t believe he’s gone. I know that he...had a carefree past, but I never bothered to think that it would ever come back to haunt him. I guess I had hoped it would just stay in the past, untouched. But when the diagnosis came, my heart sank. I don’t understand why this had to happen. He learned to be a better man, settle down to have a family and keep his focus on us and his career. He didn’t deserve to preyed on by previous mistakes, he deserved a chance! He deserved a life! He-”, Mary abruptly stopped as her knees gave out. Jim rushed over to her side and grabbed her. She finally let the tears out, wailing and clutching to Jim as if he had just saved her from falling from the side of a building. 

Jim hugged Mary very gingerly and offered her some solace, “I also hoped that the past would stayed buried. Never bothered to think that we had anything to worry about. It was foolish on my part to think otherwise. When I met your father, I wanted a loving, committing relationship-something I didn’t think your father could offer. But he pursued me, so I relented and gave him a chance. He surprised in ways I didn’t think he could. In fact, every day he gave me a new reason to be surprised about him. I watched a boy become a man, an affectionate lover to the love of my life, a loving husband to a devoted father. We gave him the love he at times felt like he didn’t deserve. We gave him the family he never thought he could have. We took this house and made it feel like a home.”

Mary soaked in the words, and felt incredibly grateful for her father, Jim. She knew they were his family, that no one on earth understands her pain like him. For that, it was enough to provide a feeling of comfort. Their hug broke off as they something slither by them. They looked to see Romeo nuzzle up to them. Jim picked him up by arms as both he and Mary stood up. 

“You know, I don’t believe these cats have eaten yet.”, Jim said as he offered Mary a handkerchief.

Mary wiped the tears off her cheeks with the handkerchief and replied, “No, I don’t believe they have.”

After they finished feeding all ten of the cats, they went upstairs and continued to recollect through the happy memories within the photo book. They were still mourning, and knew that they always mourn...but also knew that they would be okay. They would get through this tragic event together and look over Garden Lodge for many years to come.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as my own little way of making peace between Mary and Jim. I also wrote this in hopes that the fans will be encouraged to look for a middle ground and stop fighting over 'who loved who more'. Can't we just accept that he cared for both and not be forced to pick sides? If it helps, let's pretend this happened instead.


End file.
